We are looking at the 5th studio release from my favorite Norwegian metal band, Pagan's Mind. After countless listens I'm completely convinced that Heavenly Ecstasy is my second favorite Pagan's Mind album; it just falls short of Celestial Entrance. The song titles look promising and the cover is a fresh change from the previous blue color that dominated the album art of its predecessors.

Most acclaimed bands have moved away from power metal, either by simplifying their music and turning to hard rock, or by making their albums darker and more in the heavy metal or prog realm. I hate dividing music into "oldies" and "new stuff", but in this sub-genre, the cliché is true - new bands have turned it into a parody of itself - so dog-whistle vocals, guitar riffs and keyboard passages frillier than Rococo dresses are considered good examples of power metal. Since Pagan's Mind clearly show that it's possible to release power metal albums of very good quality in 2011, this is certainly a wake-up call to the rest of the flock to get their act together and release material at least a point lower, or on par with Heavenly Ecstasy.

Need a quality melodic metal fix? Get this aptly titled album in your cd player right away and listen as Pagan's Mind puts to shame most recent releases in this genre. The band's high energy and immense skill has these beautiful harmonies and killer melodies under your skin in a hot second.

It's clear the band put a lot of effort into this one and it paid off I think. I'd say this is even better than 'Enigmatic: Calling', perhaps lacking a little in progressive elements but making up for it in overall consistency. All the songs stand out for me, possibly their best album yet!

If you haven't heard their album "Celestial Entrance" yet... you really should. It's very Dream Theater derivative at times, but ascends beyond that level. I would even go as far as to say it's a landmark in the genre.

This album is nice too, very straightforward but interesting still. We will see how this one holds...

If you haven't heard their album "Celestial Entrance" yet... you really should. It's very Dream Theater derivative at times, but ascends beyond that level. I would even go as far as to say it's a landmark in the genre.

This album is nice too, very straightforward but interesting still. We will see how this one holds...

I heard one song off this new album and it was enough to make me a fan. I have their entire discography on wishlist and I'm probably gonna start with the 4 album digital bonus and dive right in. I love this type of music!!

Finally picked it up. Its a bit heavier than older stuff but just as good. That these guys toil in near obscurity and Dream Theater (of which I am also a huge fan) get all the prog nerd cred is a travesty. Great band great album.

Wow. Sweet. I've actually never heard this band before but I'm going to set about getting to know them real quick after loving Heavenly Ecstasy. This album slays all other power metal (and half the prog) released so far this year.

If you haven't heard their album "Celestial Entrance" yet... you really should. It's very Dream Theater derivative at times, but ascends beyond that level. I would even go as far as to say it's a landmark in the genre.

This album def has it's Images and Words moments, and if this other one you mentioned is even more like that... I'll certainly be checking that one out also.

Anyway, there always seems to be something interesting going on during this album... Which is a rarity for most music, let alone power metal. In other words, I'm liking this much more than Iconoclast.

There are definitely DT moments on the first few discs, but I think PM is more consistent in composition and always leaves me wanting more. News of a fresh PM release always and without fail gets me licking my chops months and months ahead of the availability and I can say that of very few bands indeed! Maybe Scar Symmetry. I initially rated this album a 9, but after a dozen or more listens since I have realized that it has grown on me in ways I didn't expect and I now must move it closer to a 10. If only there were smaller rating increments...

I have taken a very long time to understand this album. At first, it didn't really register in my brain. For a long time, I thought the songs were actually by Anubis Gate when they popped up in my playlist. But the thing is, they always made me sit up and take notice. Catchy, but not the kind of catchy that gets boring after a short while. And when you listen closer, you notice the extreme technical prowess on display. After going "oh MAN, who did this song?" fifty times and discovering that is was PM (and this particular album) every time, I bow my head and recognize the genius.